Loose women, dinosaurs, and whoopie with spiders: More than six decades of STD posters
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STD Awareness Month draws to a close in a few days, and it seems the 2009 Chicago Sexpo tonight is a fitting tribute. (Expect engrossing debates regarding this year’s best girl-on-girl DVD to be interrupted only by pole dancing demonstrations and lingerie fashion shows.) With all that sexually charged excitement, it’s a safe bet that syphilis sores and other tales of STD woe won’t be a major point of conversation among the crowd. So in honor of this wonderful month and the upcoming expo, Decider gives STDs their due with more than 60 years of cautionary posters.
A lot of early STD posters were designed for our men fighting overseas. The reference to the original Axis adds a nice patriotic tone, and the sheer wholesomeness of the woman would cause even the most lascivious GI to keep it in his fatigues.
The disproportionately sized handgun assures onlookers that this is a deadly serious topic, and the color scheme gives VD that patriotic feel once again. Bonus points go to the copywriter for working in the term “loose women.”
Ahhh. Shooting dice, wearing overalls, and avoiding syphilis—simpler times.
Not too surprisingly, overcoming the notion of shame associated with STDs is a major theme in posters from the '40s and '50s. Though the wording is a bit odd, the stark colors, utilitarian font, and spooky characters create a rather somber vibe.
If only the dinosaurs had known about condoms.
It’s easy to understand how someone could confuse Chlamydia with a Chrysanthemum or a Cockscomb. What’s not easy to understand, however, is the relationship between Chlamydia and hot dogs, computers, cassette tapes, televisions, really wide skateboards, and a football.
HIV and AIDS posters run the gamut from promoting condoms to raising awareness to assuring people that they can’t catch the virus from holding hands. This kindergarten-styled gem is like the Mona Lisa of AIDS posters, both in its impact and popularity. Note how the lowercase “i” adds to the kid-like authenticity.
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